Mekong Expedition- Upriver

Join the Aqua Mekong on this 8-day luxury Mekong River expedition cruise and discover all the mysteries and wonders between the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers. Enjoy the diverse cultures thriving in your midst. During the high water season (July-November), from Siem Reap to Saigon experience the full history of Mekong life, meeting Khmer farmers, Buddhist monks, and entrepreneurs in Vietnam’s kaleidoscopic wet markets along the way. During the low water season (December-June), enjoy more time on the Cambodia stretch of the Mekong and along the Tonle Sap River.

Activities

Trip Type

Activity Level

Trip Snapshots

Day 1 My Tho | Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam | Embark

Meet at the Saigon meeting point and transfer by air-conditioned coach to My Tho dock where you board the Aqua Mekong. Settle into your floating retreat, with its window wall conferring an endlessly-captivating panorama. Enjoy these private Mekong moments.

Day 2 Binh Thanh / Sadec | My An Hung

Begin the day at Binh Thanh mat weaving village or opt to visit Sa Dec where you can peruse the vibrant market and see the famous house of Marguerite Duras' legendary lover, Mr. Huynh Thuy Le.

In the afternoon, visit a typical Mekong Delta village called My An Hung where you can walk through verdant plantations. You are invited to a local's home to taste local fruits while hearing traditional folk songs performed by villagers followed by a unique unicorn dance. A 17-kilometer biking option is also available.

Day 3 Chau Doc | Vinh Xuong

Travel by skiff along Bassac Canal to Chau Doc floating market then head off by van to Long Son Pagoda atop Sam Mountain. Ask the monks about their age-old Buddhist practices. Return via the bustling morning market.

Join an optional 18-kilometer bike ride on Long Khanh Island or take a rickshaw ride to visit Tan Chau Market with chef. After lunch, relax by the pool, try traditional Khmer massage, or learn to cook Mekong-inspired dishes while you sail across the border into Cambodia.

Day 4 Koh Oknha Tey | Preah Prosop, Cambodia

On this river, admire dexterous Khmer artisans dyeing and weaving kroma, the ubiquitous item no Khmer lives without. Explore the riverbank on two wheels if you wish and pass by Buddhist temples and thatch houses perched on spindly wooden stilts while white oxen wade just offshore.

After lunch, board your marine-grade aluminum skiffs and head towards the tamarind trees of Preah Prosop, a remote village little changed over several lifetimes.

Day 5 Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Enjoy the Cambodian capital by motorized tuk-tuk, the Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, and the National Museum of Cambodia, home to the world’s largest collection of Khmer art. Visit the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide and the Killing Field or shop at the Russian Market.

This evening, celebrate the onward journey towards the heart of this mighty river with a Khmer Apsara performance, an indigenous tradition memorialized on the temple walls at Angkor Wat.

Day 6 Tonle Sap River | Kampong Chhnang

This morning, visit Koh Chen, a silversmith village known for its fine craftsmanship. Keep an eye out for their famous silver bowls, regularly chosen by Cambodia's king as gifts for visiting dignitaries.

In the afternoon, continue learning about Khmer riverside life in Kampong Chhnang, the 'Port of Pottery' so-called because archaeological findings here date to the 6th century. A bike option is available.

Day 7 Mouth of the Tonle Sap Lake | Chhnok Tru | Moat Khla

Explore the remote communities around the Tonle Sap Lake, designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1997. In Chhnok Tru, “slide” into an ice factory and learn from locals what it’s like to live in a town where schools, churches, pagodas, and even the karaoke bar and police station all float.

After lunch, visit the floating village of Moat Khla, accessible only by water, and attend a Buddhist blessing ceremony.

Day 8 Tonle Sap Lake | Prek Toal | Siem Reap | Disembark

1 Breakfast

Set off by skiff into the 22,000-hectare Prek Toal Core Bird Reserve, one of the largest freshwater bodies in Asia and the last refuge in Southeast Asia for large waterbirds like the spot-billed pelicans, milky stork, black-headed ibis, and the elusive masked finfoot. This afternoon disembark.

*During low water season (December to Mid August), disembark in Phnom Penh.

Notes

Single Supplement: 25% in addition to the double rate as posted.
Child Policy: 7 year age minimum on all departures, children under 12 years old will receive a 20% discount.
Third person sleeping on sofa bed will receive a 20% discount
Third person being a child under 12 years old sleeping on sofa bed pays US $500 per night

Please note:
The above itinerary is subject to weather conditions and water levels of the Mekong River and its tributaries. During low water season December - Mid August the above itinerary may deviate slightly to optimize wildlife viewing and explorations.

We Love to Talk Travel

Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!